The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-02-19
LITTLE JIM'S GOOD TIME.
BY ISABEL FREELAND.

Jim's parents had three children, and
Jim was one of them. The two that we're
not Jim were girls, one of them nine
years of age and the other eleven. Jim
himself was five, and there was 30 much
mischievousness wrapped up within him
that am surprised he did not explode.
They lived - this family of fve-in
pleasant, old fashioned house in the
country, and one day there came to visit
them the children's cousin Annie girl
about as old as Jim's sisters, and one
whom they both loved dearly; while as
for Jim, he had once confdentially
remarked that if he ever married any
body besides his mother, it should be
Annie.
The girls sleeping room was big,
airy chamber, and Jim's a smaller one
next to it. Both rooms opened into the
wide hall, and for ventilation's sweet
sake the doors we're always left open.
Soon after the children's bedtime, on
the night of Annie's coming, Jim, from
his lonely pillow, heard sounds of
revelry in the next room-scamperings
and scurryings, and wild creakings of
the bed cord, and charming pillow-fghts,
and envy burned in his bosom. He even
forgot the dignity that dwells in his
boots, and ignored the high estate of
trousers, and wished in his hearts core
that he was girl.
But by-and-by, after a due display Of
the charity that "suffereth long and is
kind" his father came to the foot of the
stairs and shouted, Gall abed!" and d.
rectly Jim heard great silence in the
next room, and directly again he was
asleep. But later he awoke, and as he
lay thinking of the good time which the
girls had had and he had missed, very
bright idea put it's head around the COR
ner of his mind and whispered, wouldn't
it be fun to play joke on 'em?"
Jim never allowed a suggestion Of this
kind to pass unheeded. He rose with
great. caution, and arranging his bed
clothes so that he could get into bed and
be dreaming sweetly in the twinkling of
an eye if he heard his father coming, he
threw a sheet about himself and set
forth.
He paused at the door of the girls
room, and listened till he knew they were
asleep, and then, running lightly, he
made flying leap and alighted on his
hands and knees on the middle Of the
bed, and straightway proceeded to hop
about in a most extravaganza manner.
Any girl in her right mind would awake
under such treatment, and any kind of a
girl would be frightened, even if she
didn't awake, and before Jim had hoped
many hops the quilt was drawn wildly
up over the girls terrified heads, and
held fast with mighty grasp, while from
beneath them, sounding muffied and far
away, rose shrieks and walls and howle
and appeals and protests, making night
hideous.
Jim's father, not being deaf, was
awakened. He arose from his comfort
able couch, and put on his dressing
gown and pair OF soft SLIP ers, and sci
out upon tour of investigation.
Just as he reached the head Of the
stairs Carrie uncovered her head and
shrieked in way to ruin her voice, Pa
there's something ON our bedl"
He had a grave suspicion as to what
the something was, and going to Jim'I
bed and finding it unoccupied, he tool
up quilt and went into the girls room.
Jim, imbued with such feelings as {
war-horse has in battle, would not have
noticed the approach Of three tribes o.
Indians; and so it happened that when I
blanket was thrown over him, and he wa
tipped over upon his side, and the blanke
was gathered up at the four corners, anC
he was borne from the scene OF his tri